Ficus Pumila...

... can just go to hell. And nearly did.

I JUST got this plant and I've already maimed it. I had heard so much about this plant being tough, so I was really surprised when half of the foliage crisped up in ONE DAY, and I had to cut it all back. With hanging pots I'm usually concerned about overwatering, because excess water has no means to drain and can easily cause root rot. Thus I held back on the water and amped up the misting in an attempt to meet moisture needs through humidity... and killed it with kindness. I also neglected to repot it with a better, healthier mix when I brought it home, which was simply foolish. It shouldn't take too long to bounce back as long as I'm careful about the watering. I'll be keeping a much better eye on it - as you can see, it's a spider mite infestation waiting to happen. Apologies for catbutt.

After the loss of my asplenium bulbiferum and the rather accidental assassination of my Dryopteris erythrosora (previously and erroneously labelled "Davallia"), I needed a new fern to cheer me up.

According to the greenhouse people, "It's a red fern. A red-leaf fern." Erm... okey dokey. Hopefully I'll find out what it actually is before I kill it. In other news, I have resumed the terrarium art project...

These globes are on the fifth day of their quarantine. In case my ingredients were not perfectly sterile, I decided to give each little microsystem a week or so to start "breathing" properly and send up any volunteer stowaways. Next week I'll add a thin, thin layer of wet peat to the top, and then my Kyoto moss spores. The labels indicate different watering techniques (I'm trying to find the best way to prevent mildew and compaction).